Xi Jinping terms Taiwan’s reunification with China as inevitable during new year’s address

With less than two weeks to go before the Chinese-claimed island elects a new leader, President Xi Jinping struck a tougher tone than he did last year when he declared that China’s “reunification” with Taiwan is inevitable.

Amidst tense tensions between Beijing and Taipei, the presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for January 13 are taking place. In an effort to bolster its claims of sovereignty over Taiwan, which is democratically governed, China has been applying more military force.

While Xi did not address military threats in his speech broadcast on state television, China views Taiwan as its “sacred territory” and has never recanted the use of force to annex the island.